Last week’s winter storm brought unimaginable conditions to the southeast, especially in southern Alabama and Florida.
Alabama Cooperative Extension Specialist Ken Kelly says that the weather even was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
“I have never had a drive like I’m experiencing. Ice everywhere—snow. Roads still iced over. This is what, day four of the process. I am 50 years old, I’ve lived in this part of the world my whole life, and have never seen it like this before,” Kelly explains.
The south Alabama-based extension agent says that farmers and livestock producers in the area are not used to conditions like this. They have had to work around frozen water tanks, icy roads, and the unknown conditions of several key crops.
“Real danger on the citrus side of stuff. Any of our citrus stuff, cold as it’s gotten. Hopefully, we don’t have any died back from that. As far as the other fruits and nuts, there’s not a whole lot that’s really out there right now. We got some strawberry folks that are kind of watching their stuff pretty close. Some of those guys worried a little bit, even though it’s a cold weather plant. It’s been 15º here, four and five, six inches of snow. The other fruits and veggie guys, they’re just kind of a wait-and-see type of position,” he notes.
While last week held unprecedented winter lows, snow and ice, this week things are warming up, with some areas anticipating temperatures as high as 70º in the coming days.
